Maz Gould sitting on a wooden bench on a cobbled street, old buildings in the background (Picture: Maz Gould)
I was 27 years old when I was diagnosed with MS (Picture: Maz Gould)

‘We’ve found lesions on your brain and spine.’ 

I held my breath to stop the tears from trickling down my face. 

I couldn’t quite grasp what the consultant was saying in that moment, until she confirmed that those lesions were, in fact, Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

I was officially diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis in August 2025: A form of MS where I have regular ‘relapses’ (my symptoms get worse), followed by periods of recovery (‘remitting’).

I was 27 years old.

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Part of me was relieved to have an answer, but part of me was terrified – especially because I’d grown up watching my mum suffer with MS.

The MS Society says that having a parent with MS gives you just a 1.5% chance of developing the disease yourself. But despite the low risk, I got my diagnosis at almost the exact same age my mum got hers. 

My mum was diagnosed in 1999. She suffered from severe relapses sometimes lasting as long as two weeks, where she would lose her speech and mobility, experience a constant pins and needles sensation in her body and struggle with dramatic memory loss.

Once, when I was around eight, I finished school and walked out onto the playground to see my neighbour waiting to pick me up.

My mum had suffered a relapse where she had lost function in both her legs. She’d collapsed at home, dragged herself across the landing and somehow called for help.

Maz Gould: I grew up watching my mum fight MS ? little did I know that years later I would receive the same diagnosis
Maz’s mum was diagnosed with MS in 1999 and suffered from severe relapses (Picture: Maz Gould)

My siblings and I would often wake up to my mum unable to lift herself out of bed. She would fall over and lose her balance, drop things and struggle to think clearly. At one point, she had to use a walking stick, and I grew used to seeing her exhausted from even the smallest of tasks.

Eventually, she had to give up work. As a family of five with one stream of income, times were tough. My dad worked as much overtime as physically possible, while my mum looked after us.

Back then, Mum was put on a series of high-dose steroids to treat her MS via an IV drip in hospital, used whenever she had an active attack (relapse).

Maz Gould: I grew up watching my mum fight MS ? little did I know that years later I would receive the same diagnosis
As a child, Maz grew used to seeing her mum exhaused from even the smallest of tasks (Picture: Maz Gould)

Now, my mum has been in remission – meaning she’s been in a stable state of recovery with no new symptoms – for nine years. There was no miracle medication that helped her; she’s simply learnt to manage the disease. She takes it day by day, and is mindful not to push herself so much that it could risk another relapse. 

I, meanwhile, experienced what I now know to be my first relapse about a year prior to my diagnosis.

I woke up one morning with a tingling sensation down the back of my neck and across my shoulder. It was uncomfortable, but I could tolerate it. I assumed I had pulled a muscle and left it alone to repair. It lasted for about a week; after which point, I forgot about it.

Maz Gould: I grew up watching my mum fight MS ? little did I know that years later I would receive the same diagnosis
I experienced what I now know to be my first relapse about a year prior to my diagnosis (Picture: Maz Gould)

Months later, I returned from a work trip to an overwhelming numbing sensation down the whole of my left side. In the following days, my skin felt like it was burning every time I showered and I lost strength in my arms.

The fatigue was overwhelming. I had brain fog, painful headaches and stints of heaviness, feeling like I couldn’t move. 

I convinced myself I had damaged a nerve. The idea that I could have MS didn’t cross my mind whatsoever.

But, after a week, my fiancé persuaded me to take a trip to the GP, who examined my reflexes and muscle strength before referring me to a physio, who gave me daily exercises to practise.

Naturally, the GP asked if there was a family history of any health conditions. I told him my mum had MS, but he didn’t seem too concerned, just writing it in his notes. 

Maz Gould: I grew up watching my mum fight MS ? little did I know that years later I would receive the same diagnosis
The idea that I could have MS didn’t cross my mind whatsoever (Picture: Maz Gould)

I returned two weeks later as requested – by which point, the sensation had worn off and I generally felt a lot better. I could see something didn’t sit right with my GP, though. There was something off about his energy. He referred me for an MRI of my brain and spine for the next month. I assumed he was just being cautious.

Going into the MRI, the nurse told me the results would take up to six weeks. But the next day, I received a text asking me to arrange a telephone appointment with my GP – who told me there was ‘an anomaly in my brain’, and that the next steps involved meeting with a specialist. 

I started to spiral. What did he mean by an ‘anomaly’? Was there something seriously wrong with me?

Two weeks later, I received my confirmed diagnosis.

The consultant explained that MS is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system; that it’s a variable, unpredictable and progressive condition, requiring daily management.

Maz Gould: I grew up watching my mum fight MS ? little did I know that years later I would receive the same diagnosis
My mum is a role model to me (Picture: Maz Gould)

The moment I told my mum is etched into my brain. In a McDonald’s car park, I dialled her number and told her what I think she knew deep down.

She broke down and blamed herself for what was happening to me, and we wept down the phone to each other. It was incredibly painful to hear the strongest woman I know speak that way about something that was completely beyond her control.

Since that tearful phone call, I’ve learnt that she was picturing the challenging journey ahead for me – praying that I wouldn’t have to go through what she once had. 

I officially began treatment five months after first going to my GP. It’s come a long way since my mum was diagnosed. I opted for Ofatumumab – a disease modifying therapy in the form of a monthly injection you administer yourself at home – and it’s working.

So far, my MS has stabilised. I haven’t had a relapse or any new symptoms since starting treatment and I’m mostly able to go about my life as normal.

Of course, some days are better than others. There are times where I find it hard to string a sentence together; moments where my body feels as heavy as cement, periods of overwhelming tiredness and instances of complete numbness.

Getting diagnosed with the same condition as my mum has been both a curse and a blessing.

It’s made her overly cautious at times, concerned about me making too many plans and over-exerting myself.

I can’t blame her for feeling as though history is repeating itself, though. Even so, she’s been by my side every step of the way.

Ultimately, my mum is a role model to me – and a living example that life doesn’t have to stop at a few lesions.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing izzie.price@metro.co.uk. 

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